"When I was down there yesterday, I could smell the flowers through Sydney, and I think it's just amazing that he has been able to make our city smell like flowers," Mr Zinn told Channel Nine, in his first interview since the tragedy.

"I think there is no more beautiful thing that he could have imagined.

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"This tragedy will remain with us forever, but the uniting effects of this week, how they have galvanised our city, our country, makes us even more proud of Tori and Katrina [Dawson] and proud of all Australians."

For 16 hours during the hostage drama, Mr Zinn kept vigil near the site, only to receive the shattering news in the early hours of Tuesday morning that his partner had not survived. He was killed alongside 38-year-old barrister, Katrina Dawson, while 16 other hostages survived.

Mr Zinn remembered Mr Johnson, the son of Australian artist Ken Johnson, as "probably the most positive human being I've ever met".

Mr Zinn said said he wold like Mr Johnson to be remembered as a "humble and very generous person".

"He really made it very clear that family is the most important thing in our lives, and that we have to cherish that and make sure we spend enough time with our families. That's an absolute priority," Mr Zinn said.

He also thanked the "brave" emergency service workers who had put their own lives at risk during the operation, and praised their "patience, empathy and dedication".

"We also want to thank the many people who have supported us and continue to stand by us through this tragedy. From close friends to complete strangers, the outpouring of love, kindness and generosity has been overwhelming," he said.

"We can not undo the events of December 16, but it has made our diverse community even stronger and more unified.